ACTIVITY 9:
ENERGIZERS

The following non-verbal activities can help to
raise group spirits, create solidarity, and refocus energy.

Arm in Arm: Ask participants to divide
in pairs of equal strength. Explain: "How many times can you put
your partner's hand to the table in 60 seconds? There can be two winners
to this game." Then say "Go" and let participants know
when 30 seconds and 10 seconds remain. Those who cooperate will be able
to touch many times while those who compete will have few or no touches.
Point out the difference between cooperation and competition.

The Chain: Ask participants to stand in
a circle with their eyes closed. Move them around, attaching their hands
to each other so that they make a knot. Then tell participants to open
their eyes and try to untangle themselves without letting go of their
hands.

Fireworks: Assign small groups to make
the sounds and gestures of different fireworks. Some are bombs that
hiss and explode. Others are firecrackers imitated by handclaps. Some
are Catherine Wheels that spin and so on. Call on each group to perform
separately, and then the whole group makes a grand display.

Group Sit: Ask participants to stand in
a circle toe-to-toe. Then ask them to sit down without breaking the
connection of their toes. Avoid this activity if members of the group
are disabled or elderly.

The Rain Forest: Stand in the center of
participants, who mimic your movements, making different sounds and
gestures for aspects of the forest (e.g., birds, insects, leaves rustling,
wind blowing, animals calling) by snapping fingers, slapping sides,
clapping hands, and imitating animals. The resulting sound is like a
rain forest.

Silent Calendar: Explain that the whole
group must line up in order of the day and month they were born, but
they cannot use words to accomplish this.

The Storm: Assign different sounds and
gestures to small groups of participants (e.g., wind, rain, lightning,
thunder, etc.) and then narrate the soft beginnings of the storm, conducting
the various sounds like an orchestra (e.g., "And then the lightning
flashes! And the thunder roars!") through to the conclusion of
the storm.

To the Lifeboats!: First demonstrate a
"lifeboat": two people hold hands to form the boat; passengers
stand inside the circle of their hands. Then explain that everyone is
going on a voyage: "At first the sea is calm and everyone is enjoying
the trip. Then, suddenly, the ship hits a rock. Everyone must get into
a lifeboat in groups of three (or one, or four, etc.)." Participants
then scramble to form "lifeboats" and take in the proper number
of passages. Usually someone "drowns." Then take up the narrative
again. "Now the ship continues peacefully ... but suddenly a hurricane
begins. The ship is sinking. Everyone to the lifeboats in groups of
two." Continue like this through several "shipwrecks."